


Moving But She Just Can't Move

by slashter



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Nemma, sexy asshole niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-19
Updated: 2013-10-19
Packaged: 2017-12-29 21:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashter/pseuds/slashter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>She wants to slap him. She wants to hug him, to rip his clothes off, to lick into his mouth and make her own head spin. She wants to punch him till he gets that, till he gets</i> her<i>, till he finally understands everything she's been trying to tell him for the past week.</i></p>
<p>[Or the one where Gemma can't express how she feels and Niall's just plain infuriating]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving But She Just Can't Move

**Author's Note:**

> I BLAME [MOLLY](http://scaryriles.tumblr.com) AND [MELISSA](http://booitsnailler.tumblr.com) AND [JEN](http://philosophicalharry.tumblr.com)
> 
> INSPIRED BY [THIS](http://j4ya.tumblr.com/post/64166907627) POST FML
> 
> ~Title from She's Way Out by The 1975
> 
> **Disclaimer:**  
>  I don't know anyone in 1D or anyone else mentioned in this story. This work is purely a piece of fiction.

\------------

 

She's not sure if she can pinpoint exactly when it happens, but it slams into her like punch to the face, and the next thing she knows she's sitting up in her bed, heart thudding fast, unable to breathe.

She fancies _Niall_.

 

It's not too surprising, especially considering the amount of time they've been spending together during the band's downtime. Dinners, parties, late-night hangouts. It's ridiculous, completely and totally childish, but she can feel her heart literally skip a beat when she thinks about him and his laugh and his hair and his _hands_ and--oh shit, she's definitely fucked.

 

\------------

 

The first person she tells--well, she's pretty obligated to tell him, isn't she--is Harry, of course, and she stands outside his hotel room for a full two minutes before finding the courage to knock on his door, three short taps, their little signal.

"Hey, Gem!" Harry says, swinging the door open and letting her in. "What's up?"

Gemma sighs and flops down on his bed. "I'm fucked."

Harry cocks his head to the side. "Right."

"No, Harry, I am. I'm ruined, and you're going to hate me."

"I already hate you."

"Ha _ha_." Gemma replies, frowning. "Really, though. Don't be mad at me."

It's Harry's turn to sigh as he rolls his eyes and sits on the armchair next to the bed. "Gemma. I love you. What's going on?"

Gemma bites her lips and shuts her eyes tight. She loves her brother, she does, but she knows how strongly he feels about letting her date his friends and it'd be so totally unfair. And that's in the case that it even happens, which is even less probable, because Niall doesn't seem like the type who'd be into bitchy fake-blonde sisters of his best friends.

 

"Gemma?" Harry asks again, and she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"I…" She starts, and groans, palms coming up to cover her face, which has become unnecessarily warm, in her opinion. "I fancy someone."

"…right."

"No, it's--it's someone you know. Someone you knew first, I guess you could say."

"One of my mates?"

"Please don't hate me."

"I won't." Harry replies, and Gemma's so shocked that she turns to him, eyes wide.

"Really?"

Harry shrugs. "Depends on who it is, of course."

"Well, fuck."

Harry narrows his eyes. "Who is it?"

"It's…someone."

"Gem, _please_."

"Harry, I just--shit. Okay, this was a mistake." Gemma says, sitting up and jumping off the bed, walking over to the door. "Sorry, fuck, I shouldn't have said anything--"

 

But before she can even make it to the door, Harry's up and in front of her, blocking her exit. 

"Harry, _move_." She says, frowning. She knows her brother's got a good height advantage against her, but she sees him flinch before standing up taller.

"It's only because I don't want you to get hurt." He says, his voice low and quiet. "I've seen what the limelight can do, Gem, and I don't want it to get to you, and I know that it _will_. Don't--don't do this to yourself, okay?"

"You're not the boss of me, you know that?" She replies, but lets her shoulders fall, the tension leaving her as she looks into Harry's concerned gaze. "I'm a big girl, Harry, I know what's out there. And I--I'm not asking for this to be public or whatever, y'know. I--" She sighs, crossing her arms over her chest. "I haven't felt this way about someone in a long time."

She can feel tears almost forming at the corners of her eyes and then Harry's pulling her into a hug, warm and solid, and she lets out a raggedy breath.

"It's just a crush, too." She adds, hoping to console Harry, but somehow trying to convince herself as well of something she knows is not entirely true. "It's nothing big, I really--I wanted to let you know."

Harry leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Thanks."

Gemma sniffles a bit and pushes herself out of Harry's grip. "You're a twat." She says, smacking his chest, and then manages to slip behind him and out the door. She's already halfway down the hall when she hears Harry cry out a reply.

"I love you!" He calls, and she just gives him the finger as a response, smiling as he cackles at her.

 

\------------

 

She can do this. He's in the room, she can her his laugh, louder and stronger than the others', and her stomach does some flips in anticipation before she cusses and pulls the door open, hard, accidentally slamming it into the wall.

The entire room goes silent and all eyes are on her, Harry trying hard and completely failing to control a bout of laughter. She can feel herself blush and rolls her eyes.

"Sorry, geez, calm down, no big deal." She mutters, and shakes her head before walking over to the spread of food in the corner and grabbing a water bottle. She chugs down half of it in one go and waits until the conversation's resumed before turning around to face everyone.

 

It's the usual pre-show crowd, all the boys spread across the sofas, Lou typing away at her phone, Caroline fussing over someone's outfit. 

Gemma makes her way to an open spot on a couch and sinks down into the leather before she realizes that she's sat herself right next to Niall. Fuck.

"Hey, Gemma!" He says, grinning, as if he hadn't just seen her 24 hours ago, and Gemma almost throws up right then and there. She scolds herself, though, forcing herself to keep her calm demeanor as she smirks back.

"Hey, Niall." She replies, and he winks, he fucking _winks_ , and her heart skips a beat.

"Fun night last night?" He asks, and Gemma looks around: Harry and Louis are involved in some silent conversation and Zayn and Liam are dozing away on each other, so she can't really oust herself from this chit-chat, unfortunately. She sighs in defeat.

"It was all right." She says, then realizes that she must sound uninterested so she scrambles for something else. "Didn't get much sleep."

She regrets the words as soon as they're out of her mouth, but Niall just pouts in sympathy and nudges her shoulder with his. 

"Nightmares?" He asks, and he actually looks so genuinely concerned that she wants to slap him and kiss him all at the same time.

"Something like that." She says, after a moment, and then smiles at him.

He grins back, like always, no matter what she says or does, no matter how rude or bitchy she is, and Gemma almost dies right then and there.

 

\------------

 

It's in Australia, though, that Gemma realizes what kind of effect Niall has on her. He walks into the dressing room with these glasses on his face, and it's so weird and out of place that she makes a face at them until Niall chuckles. 

"Something wrong?" He asks, and no, there's nothing wrong, he looks _great_ , his jeans low and shirt fitting just right and hair tousled so naturally that she just wants to get her hands in it. 

She wants to tell him something good, wants to let him know just how delicious he looks, but something else kicks in, something stupid and defensive, because she ends up spitting out the exact opposite.

"You look like a twat." She says, before she realizes it, and almost blushes down to her roots. Fuck. She's really fucked it up, _fuck_. She can see the way Niall squints at her and readies herself for some rude reply, some rebuking, anything at all, but Niall completely surprises her by grinning back at her and smirking.

"Good." He replies, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose with his middle finger--that little _asshole_ \--and walking over to the seat opposite her, plopping down onto the chair.

 

Gemma sits, frozen, trying to comprehend what just happened, and she opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before realizing that she has absolutely no idea what the hell is going on and that she should probably just shut up before Niall does something completely out of character again. She grabs a magazine and flips through it absentmindedly, glancing up at Niall every few seconds. 

Why did he do that? He talked _back_ , he fucking _flipped her off_ , and it's so not Niall and so not what he does but she's so ridiculously turned on by it, by Niall being a complete and utter douche to her. What the hell? 

 

She looks back up at him and stares for a while, taking his appearance in. She can see his briefs from here, peeking up above the waistband of his jeans and his shirt's ridden up a bit, letting her see the small dusting of hair that makes up his happy trail. He's deep into something on his phone, probably twitter, for fuck's sake, and Gemma wants to rip the phone out of his hands, throw it across the room, and stick her tongue in his mouth.

"You okay?" She hears, and her gaze snaps back up from where she'd been unabashedly staring at Niall's crotch to lock eyes with him. He's smirking again, and it's such an unfamiliar expression on him that it takes Gemma a little bit to respond.

 

"Um." She starts, but she doesn't know what to say. Well, that's a first. Maybe she should try for a compliment? Something nice? Tell him about his hair? She can see the brown roots showing and she's never been one for guys dyeing their hair but it just suits Niall so _well_. "You'd probably look better as a brunette." She says, and then freezes up. Fuck, _again_? 

Niall just snorts, shaking his head and slipping his phone into his lap. He stands up and walks over to Gemma, leaning down so close that his lips are practically brushing her ear. He twirls the end of a lock of her hair around his finger and lets it fall, watching it bounce back into shape before speaking.

"So would you."

 

\------------

 

If someone would've told Gemma a few years back that she'd be sandwiched between a group of 20-year-old guys watching Finding Nemo in a 5-star hotel room, she probably would've laughed and avoided them completely after that.

Yet, that's exactly where she finds herself now, sandwiched between Harry and Niall, because life's a bitch like that. She tries to lean into Harry more, but it seems like every time she inches away from Niall, he moves closer to her.

 

"You all smell." She announces, and Harry shrugs while Zayn rolls his eyes and scoffs.

"Did _you_ wear deodorant today?" Niall retorts, and Gemma blushes because no, she did _not_ , but she's not the one with gross boy hormones and she's 90% sure she doesn't smell bad right now.

"Why are you such an ass?" She replies, turning to face Niall, and shit, he's closer than she thought. She tries not to let it faze her and continues to glare at him, getting angrier and more turned on the longer he grins. Why is him being so rude so _sexy_?

" _Our_ Niall? An ass?" Louis asks, from the foot of the bed, where he's spread out over all their legs. "Impossible."

"You must have the wrong Niall." Liam chimes in, grinning.

Gemma frowns. "You're all terrible."

 

It's silent for a while before Gemma feels Niall lean into her a bit. 

"Because you're cute." He mumbles, and Gemma blushes again, so incredibly glad that the lights are dimmed in the hotel room. She's still a bit pink, recovering from his words, and totally not prepared for what Niall says next. "And I know you like it."

She turns to face him out of instinct and her breath catches at how close he is. Their noses are almost touching and Gemma feels her eyes flutter shut as Niall moves closer, so close that she can feel his hot puffs of breath on her lips. She's so ready this, she leans in a bit, and that's when she hears Niall chuckle and pull away, running a hand easily through his hair.

 

She sits there, frozen, mouth agape, staring at Niall for a solid five minutes before he looks at her and raises an eyebrow.

"What?" He asks, and she can't take it anymore, fuck, she can't _believe_ he just did that, that total and complete _wanker_.

She's fuming as she twists her way out of her little space and gets on her knees, artfully crawling over Niall to get out of the bed, out of the room, out of this fucking universe. And if her leg slips a bit and she knees him in the crotch as she escapes, well, that's just a happy coincidence.

 

\------------

 

It's only like 2 pm and Gemma's sloshed. She knows this because she raided her minibar and it's much more empty than it was a few hours ago so she just stares at it, intrigued, until there's a sharp knock at her door.

It's not three, so she knows it's not Harry, but she stumbles to the door anyways, not even bothering to check who's outside. If it's a fan, they can get a picture with drunk Gemma, fuck, those ridiculous teenagers will love it.

It's not a fan, though, and it's still not Harry, no, it's _Niall_ , and Gemma's so taken aback that she almost pukes right then and there.

"Gemma, hey." He says, then pauses and looks her up and down. "Are--are you _drunk_?"

"Maybe." She slurs, and her tongue's numb, whoops. She walks back into her room, leaving the door open. She doesn't really care if Niall comes in or not at this point, and falls onto her bed, looking at the ceiling.

 

Niall does come in, surprise surprise, and surveys the scene.

"Are you expecting us to pay for that?" He says, motioning to the minibar, and Gemma sits up, frowning. Her head spins a bit but she manages to stand up and walk over to Niall, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"Stop that." She says, and Niall lifts an eyebrow.

"Stop what?"

"Being mean. That's not you, that's _me_. Stop."

"I can't be mean?"

"No, you're nice. That's you, you're a nice Niall. I'm mean Gemma, that's what it's like, so you need to not be so me, all right?"

"Jesus, how much did you drink?"

 

Gemma surprises both of them, she's sure, by her next move, and pushes Niall back, enough so that he trips over his feet and slams into the wall of the hotel room. He looks up at her, shocked. 

"What the hell was that for?" He says, and Gemma shakes her head, walking over to him so that she's pressed up against him. She can practically feel his heartbeat pick up and smirks, pressing a palm over his chest. She leans in close, close enough so that she's sure he can smell the alcohol on her breath, and waits till he shuts his eyes in response before pulling away and flipping him off.

 

Niall just looks at her, confused.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" She asks, laughing and sitting on her bed. She searches for the small bottle of vodka she's sure had been on the sheets just a moment ago and when her efforts are fruitless, she looks up at Niall.

He looks heartbroken. Gemma feels her own heart stop and watches as Niall shakes his head, blinking back tears. He's gonna _cry_ , shit, and it's all her fault.

"Fuck you." He says, and it slices right through her, because there's no humor behind it, no laughter, no love. "Fuck. You."

 

And then he's gone, slamming the door behind him, leaving Gemma dazed, drunk, and so, so, alone.

 

\------------

 

She hasn't talked to Niall in 24 hours. She knows Harry can tell there's something wrong because he gives her a curious look every time he sees her and Niall just looks away, just avoids her, his jaw set and cheeks blazing.

She wants to defend her actions, wants to shrug and just attribute it all to her general bitchiness, but she knows she crossed a line with Niall, she knows that he deserves more and she's at fault.

 

And that's how she finds herself at his door after the concert, her palms sweating as she balls her hands into fists and knocks lightly at his door. She can hear him sigh and walk over, sees the peephole darken a bit and holds her breath for the entire 30 seconds it takes for Niall to open the door.

She exhales when he looks at her. "Hi." She says, her mind suddenly blank, the speech she'd memorized in her head completely lost.

"D'you need something?" He mumbles, and she can tell he's avoiding her gaze, and it hits her that he's just too _nice_ to not open the door and answer, that he's so pissed at her but he can't even deny her a chance and it's almost too much.

"Can I come in?" She blurts out, and Niall chews his lip, contemplating, before slowly opening the door wider. Gemma quietly walks in and Niall shuts the door behind him, leaning back on it and finally looking at Gemma with an uninterested gaze.

 

"…so?" He prompts, and Gemma bites her lip.

"I'm sorry." She says, and he snorts.

"Good." He replies, and Gemma nods. Right, fine, maybe she deserved that.

"I was just…I was so confused, Niall, I didn't get what you were trying to do and--"

Niall chuckles darkly and she stops talking, her brow furrowing. 

" _You_ didn't get what _I_ was trying to do?" He says, laughing again. "You?" He repeats, walking towards her. "You, Gemma, are hands down the most confusing person I have ever met, you know that?"

Gemma opens her mouth but nothing comes out, so she just walks backwards until her back hits a wall. Niall continues walking towards her.

"What the fuck do you want?" He asks, shaking his head. "I try to be nice and you do nothing. I try to be like you, be a big fucking tease, and I get my bollocks crushed. And then right when I think you've finally got your head screwed on straight, you just become a complete and total bitch again."

 

"Niall, that's not _fair_ \--" Gemma starts, but Niall shakes his head again and walks right up to her, crowding her against the wall. He's never been that much taller than her but he towers over her right now, his mouth set in a tight line.

"What do you want?" He says again, his voice low, and Gemma's heart skips a beat. 

She wants to slap him. She wants to hug him, to rip his clothes off, to lick into his mouth and make her own head spin. She wants to punch him till he gets that, till he gets _her_ , till he finally understands everything she's been trying to tell him for the past week. Her mouth fails her, obviously, like it's always done.

"You." She whispers, taking a shuddery breath and closing her eyes. "I want you, Niall, _please_."

 

And then there's a large, warm hand cupping her jaw as Niall tilts her face and slowly kisses her. Gemma's not one for clichés but she swears there's fireworks, bright and dazzling, because she has to blink furiously once he pulls away in order to clear her vision.

She pushes herself off the wall and catches Niall in another kiss, biting his lip until he sighs and lets her slip her tongue into his mouth, gently tracing the bottom of his teeth, only breaking apart when his hand slips around her waist.

"Niall," she whispers, and Niall hums in response, kissing down her jaw and mouthing at her neck, his teeth scraping the skin as she hisses and rises to her toes, tightening her grip around him neck.

 

It's only a half hour later, when their lips are chapped and their cheeks hurt from smiling, that Gemma speaks again.

"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch." She mumbles, curled into Niall's arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. "I wanted to tell you for the longest time and I just started being stupid."

Niall chuckles and it's so familiar that Gemma can't help but smile herself.

"I don't mind it, y'know." Niall replies, rubbing a hand up and down her arm. "It's cute, most of the time."

"It doesn't suit you so well."

"Are you sure? I happen to remember you turning red every time I threw something back at you."

"Okay, maybe it was a _bit_ attractive." Gemma says, and Niall laughs again. "Except, y'know, the whole almost-kiss thing."

Niall's grip tightens a bit and he sighs. "You wanna hear what happened?" Gemma nods, and Niall shrugs. "I chickened out. Simple as that."

"Really?" She says, pulling away so she can look up at him.

"I would've kissed you right then and there, I just…I got nervous. You can be incredibly intimidating sometimes, y'know."

"You would've snogged me? With Harry and the other boys right there?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Harry would've _killed_ you."

"Please. Harry's all bark and no bite, you should know that by now."

Gemma snorts and snuggles into Niall again. "Let's stop talking about Harry."

"Okay."

"Let's talk about something more important."

"Like what?"

Gemma sighs and rests her hand over Niall's chest, feeling his heartbeat. "Do I really look that bad as a blonde?"

Niall cackles, deep and loud, and Gemma can't help but grin herself, blushing a bit and turning herself into him even more. She feels him kiss her forehead and then looks up again, absolutely losing herself in the blue of his eyes.

 

He never does answer her question.

\------------

**Author's Note:**

> This is a thing that actually happened, guys. fuck.  
> I almost called this "nemma gonna give you up"  
> okay I'm writing a second part to this series and it'll probably be fluff and mostly smut and I should have it up soon!!!
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/slashter_fic) and [Tumblr](slashter.tumblr.com)!


End file.
